


Growing Pains

by iBloo, Tuvstarrs



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: And Konohamaru needs a pay raise, Boruto is embarrassed, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Humour, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Mitsuki is clueless, Underage Drinking, but we all get through it, crackish, no ifs or buts about it, puberty is awkward
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2020-01-05 00:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18355043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iBloo/pseuds/iBloo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuvstarrs/pseuds/Tuvstarrs
Summary: “Because growing up can suck, and sometimes you just have to ask someone who has already been through it. When that happens...Thank god for older brothers.”





	1. Age 12

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: New fic from yours truly! However, this is going to be something completely different! This is a collab fic together with the fabulous iBloo! She will post it on fanfiction.net and I will post it here :)
> 
> This will be a series of one-shots narrating Boruto’s experiences through puberty, with the help of his friends and Big Bro.

Rubbing at his chin, Konohamaru considered their options. They could, technically, walk home, but that would take most of the night--if they made it home by morning at all, and his team was pretty tired already. It was only an hour to sunset, and frankly, he wouldn’t mind stopping either. Next to him Boruto jumped up and down at the chance to stay at the onsen, Mitsuki smiled at his antics, and even Sarada—usually so stoic and composed—threw a longing glance at the front of the building. The mission hadn’t been difficult, but lengthy and tiresome and they all deserved a rest.

“Okay, okay. I don’t think we’d make it home tonight anyhow and would have to camp out, so we might as well stay in a place with actual beds and a nicer meal than the packed rations. But we’re getting up first thing in the morning. Got it, kore?” 

“Yeeees! Thank you, Nii-san! Onsen here we come!” Boruto shouted and rushed forward, dragging Mitsuki along and completely ignoring Konohamaru’s exasperated admonishment to call him Sensei.

Sarada looked up at him questioningly, and Konohamaru gave her a shrug and a nod to follow her teammates. Her face lit up, giving him a big ‘thank you’ and ran off to join Boruto and Mitsuki while he took care of the bill. Ouch, that was going to sting. Oh, well…they had worked hard, and he couldn’t deny he looked forward to the visit either.

.

.

.

After sorting out the bill, geeze—the owner really was greedy, and a quick change, he joined the boys in the hot springs. Finding Boruto pulling Mitsuki along to a deeper part of the onsen--chatting about the last time he visited one with his mum and little sister, and Mitsuki happily following, Konohamaru rolled his eyes at the energy of the kids. Leisurely walking in the pool with the water reaching his waist for a little while, he finally found a good spot. Dropping down so that the water reached his chest and letting his head rest against the edge of the pool, he let out a content sigh. Yup, that felt _nice_. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the steam and let his mind wander for a bit—that was, until he sensed the kids approaching again. 

“Oi, Nii-san…” 

“Hmm?” Konohamaru opened one eye to peek at his two students.

Mitsuki was standing straight, a little over waist-deep in the water. Boruto on the other hand practically swam over, letting the water cover him until his chest. He ducked a little lower in the water until his chin was touching the surface. 

Konohamaru raised his brow when Boruto refused to talk. “Oi, what?” 

Mitsuki smiled and pointed at his chest. “Boruto’s wondering about the hair on your chest.” 

“MITSUKI! shut up, I didn’t—” 

Konohamaru blinked, his brows raised way higher. Out of all the things the kids could have wanted, _that_ was not something he had expected. Suddenly he felt a bit self-conscious and cleared his throat to stop the slight discomfort from showing. He wasn’t shy, but not exactly used to others pointing out specific details of him randomly either. “Uh…yeah? What about it?” 

Ignoring his teammate’s outburst, Mitsuki powered on. “We were curious of when it started growing,” he explained and looked down on his own pale, smooth chest. 

“Eh? Uh…can’t remember exactly...” he answered slightly perplexed. Oh, what on earth were they curious of that for? He was just about to ask why they didn’t ask their parents when Orochimaru’s ugly face popped into his mind, and he figured the snake Sannin wouldn’t be too interested in explaining the biology of his experiment’s body.

Great, just effing great. 

Mitsuki moved closer to Konohamaru and raised his arm up. “And armpit hair? When did it start? Boruto’s curious about his.” Mitsuki raised his own arm, highlighting that much like his chest, his underarm was also smooth and void of any. 

Konohamaru merely blinked, he looked at Mitsuki, and then at Boruto. His face was red, and he held his arms tight against his sides as if anticipating that one of them would raise his arms at any moment. Slowly realizing what may bring about these questions, Konohamaru grinned. “Curious about changes with your bodies, are we, boys?” 

It was Mitsuki’s turn to blink but smiled. “Boruto, actually,” he corrected. “I haven’t noticed any, except I did grow a few centimetres taller according to my last checkup.” He then looked down at his tummy. “Gained some weight, too…” 

Konohamaru laughed at Boruto’s red face and murderous glance. He had lost count how many times Mitsuki just threw him under the bus. Even if these two were growing physically, and to some extent, emotionally, he was happy that his students’ relationship was still the same. 

If Konohamaru thought Mitsuki was done talking, he was wrong. “I saw you also had hair around your navel, Sensei.” Mitsuki then rubbed at his tummy, still flat and growing more muscle, but his skin was also just as smooth and pale. “I don’t have any…” He then looked at Boruto. “Boruto, on the other hand, seems to have hair growing near his—” 

“STOP IT!” Boruto stood from the pool, face as red as a tomato. 

At this point, Konohamaru didn’t know if he was supposed to laugh or feel awkward that his students have been looking at him and comparing him to their own bodies. Curiosity was natural, he guessed. Thinking back, he remembered having the same thoughts when he was younger too. Naruto Nii-san, a few years older, was always ahead of him, and it was hard not to compare. So… he guessed he should indulge the curious boys, as awkward as the conversation would be. It was helluva better that it came from him, than some random site online. 

Clearing his throat, he figured it was better to get it over and done with. “So, did you have any other questions?”

“Well…” It was Boruto this time, and Konohamaru couldn’t help be a little bit surprised that he would actually ask something. He must be really curious. Mitsuki didn’t have a filter, Konohamaru was aware of that, but Boruto’s pride usually held him back a bit. 

“Yes?” 

“...When do you, um… I’ve seen dad in the bathroom in the mornings. When do you-when did you have to start shaving?” 

Oh, _thank fuck_ , the way he started that question had led Konohamaru to believe this conversation was heading somewhere completely different. To a place, he had _not_ been comfortable going. He let out a sigh of relief and grinned. “You can start whenever you feel like it.” He tilted his head a little to check on Boruto’s face, searching for hair on his chin or upper lip. It seemed pretty clear for now. “Maybe this will be a good opportunity to ask your dad for advice, right?” he winked. 

Boruto pouted and looked away, sinking down into the water until his chin was submerged. “Yeah. okay…” 

Konohamaru’s gaze softened, thinking of Naruto and Boruto having a father-son bonding moment, and Naruto teaching him one of the essential steps of becoming man was heartwarming. 

Mitsuki, who had been quiet for a little while, rubbed at his chin, and intensely looked up at Konohamaru’s. “So…what Boruto—” 

“Hey! I wasn’t the only one.” 

“You are correct. So, what _we_ were wondering, is, what happens next?” And when?”

“Ah… um, well, some things you’ve already noticed, kore. Like getting taller and that. And, mm, oh, yeah!” A grin spread as he thought of one of the more famous side effects of development, and one he had hated himself when it happened to him. “Your voice will get deeper, in a little while.”

“Oh, how will we notice?” 

“When it happens, you’ll know, trust me,” he laughed. Man, was he glad that the awkward teenage years were a thing of the past… “Any more questions?” 

Giving each other a quick glance, Boruto discreetly shook his head, and they both declined. It was clear that it was a lie, and Konohamaru had a feeling he would be hosting more of these talks in the future...


	2. Age 13 - Vocal Exercises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all fun and games until someone gets a frog stuck in their throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second instalment of the collab fic with the fabulous @kairi-chan and we’re back with more team 7 shenanigans and general awkwardness! Thank you so much for the support of the first chapter! Please let us know what you thought about it, and perhaps what you would like to see in a future chapter?
> 
> Beta read by the lovely Spacerune! Thank you ❤❤❤

With the wind whirring in his ears, his blades held up high and ready to interfere in case the negotiations were to go south, Konohamaru observed the situation. Boruto, as usual, had taken the lead to resolve the situation without bloodshed. Desperately trying to talk the bandit into giving up and turning in before he got himself into an even bigger mess when the train they had been told to guard reached the end station, Boruto cupped his hands around his mouth--to compensate for the wind and make sure he was heard. 

“Hey, listen. You’re only making it worse for yourself,” he tried to reason, “I know it looks like there’s no turning back for you, but I swear we can fix it if you would jUST LET M--” 

Konohamaru blinked. A quick glance at Boruto, his face said it all. Oh, man, this was going to be good. 

Looking incredibly confused for a second, Boruto’s face flushed. He cleared his throat and put his hands to his mouth again. 

His teammates looked confused as well. Sarada lifted her eyebrow and Mitsuki cocked his head to the side, curious as to why Boruto’s voice hitched. Their teammate was quite the chatterbox, always yelling and raising his voice to get his point across, but they had never seen him incline his voice this way… 

Boruto opened his mouth to speak again. He almost had this guy. He wasn’t bad, just a terribly lost soul who needed help. “If you put your weapons down we can woRK IT--” 

Konohamaru snickered. Yeah, this was definitely one for the books. 

Now even the thief had caught on to what was happening and a grin spread across his face.

“Got a problem there, kid?”

The blush on Boruto’s face deepened and Konohamaru bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. Really, he shouldn’t. If they could resolve this quickly and silently, then their employer wouldn’t need to know of this small hiccup. Though, from what Konohamaru could tell, hiccups were occurring all over the place right now anyhow. 

Boruto held on to his throat and looked at his sensei for help. The distress in his eyes was clear, and he obviously didn’t know what to do. Konohamaru stood up straight, encouraging him to continue. 

Nodding to his sensei, Boruto took a deep breath. “I said, if you put down your wEAP--” A welp slipped out, and his eyes widened to the size of small saucers as his voice went up in falsetto for the third time within a minute. 

“Boruto, maybe this isn’t a good moment to give him such a…” Mitsuki placed his finger on his lip, trying to think of a good word. When he got it, he smiled and continued, “ _squeaky_ voice.” 

Konohamaru’s eyes bulged hearing Mitsuki’s mild, completely unironical exhortation. This was _not_ the right time and place to make fun of Boruto, but hearing Mitsuki roast him so thoroughly, he lost it. He tried to cover his laugh with a cough, but once he started he couldn’t stop. Tears trickled down his cheeks as laughter rolled up through his chest. This was too good. Oh, did he feel sorry for the kid, but at the same time… 

Sarada started with a giggle, but when she heard her sensei laugh, she couldn’t help it. The thief was now laughing as well, holding on to his stomach. Boruto was so red in the face, he looked ready to explode. 

Mitsuki, on the other hand, didn’t join in on the fun. Instead, he took advantage of the thief's guard being down. He stretched his arm towards the thief and three white snakes launched out of the sleeve. One to disarm the thief, and the other two wrapping themselves around his body, binding him tightly until he tipped over. 

Turning to Boruto, Mitsuki smiled gently. “Great tactic, Boruto! I would never have thought of using my voice to distract him. You are always so inventive. I admire that about you.”

Even as he set to tie up the thief to have him neatly delivered to their employer, Konohamaru shook his head and hoped Mitsuki would never change. He honestly couldn’t tell if Mitsuki was being sarcastic or not, but somehow that only made it better. 

“Y-yeah, totally,” Boruto tried to hide his shame by agreeing with his teammate, who only grinned in response. “It wasn’t even hard, ya know?” 

Sarada snickered again and placed her hands on her hips. “Really now, Boruto? Nothing strenuous at all?” 

He stuck his tongue out at her and crossed his arms across his chest. “No. These missions are a piece of cake.” He laced his hands behind his head. “We should be doing something more challenging.” 

“Like not cracking up in the middle of a mission?” Konohamaru grinned cheekily. 

“Speak for yourself, Nii-san!” Boruto stomped on the roof of the train. “You were laughing the entire time!”

.

.

.

On the way home Konohamaru tossed a glance at the most rambunctious of his subordinates. Boruto hadn’t said a word since the train, and it was getting worrisome. Lining up next to him, he gave him a nudge with his elbow. “Hey, you know nottalking ain’t gonna solve anything,” he started. “Come on now, chin up! We finished the mission, kore!” he continued when he was met with nothing but silence and a pout.

“Easy for you to say, Nii-san. You didn’t have everybody laugh at you.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that, but it was pretty funny,” he grinned, not overly remorseful. “I did warn you that it would happen a while ago though, remember? Did you ever talk to your dad about it?”

“No! And you said it would get deeper, not that I would sound like I had a frog in MY--” Boruto cut himself off when his voice pitched again, and Konohamaru ducked his head down a bit to hide his grin in his scarf. 

“Uh, yeah…true. I did say that, didn’t I? But really, it wasn’t that bad,” Konohamaru tried to cheer him up. 

“You know. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, Iwabe started sounding funny a while ago, but I didn’t realise I wouldn’t be able to control it _at all_.” 

“Yeah...it's gonna be like that for a while. If it's any comfort, it happens to all of us. Moegi used to say I sounded like a girl all the time, and she had an absolute field day when Udon's and my voice started cracking, kore,” Konohamaru laughed at the memory, hoping that admitting to his own awkward experiences would make the kid feel a bit better.

Boruto made a face in sympathy at the admission, Moegi-neechan could be absolutely _ruthless._ “How long?” 

“Uh, it will happen a lot for a year or so, kore.” 

“A YEAR?!”

“...Or five.” He immediately added something a bit more encouraging when he saw the dread in Boruto’s eyes. "But it settles eventually, promise! I can probably find a VCR or something so you can hear how I used to sound like.” 

Despite the assurance, Boruto looked horrified, but still had it in him to throw a cheeky remark. “VCR? Wow, You really _are_ old.” 

Konohamaru pursed his lips at Boruto. Here he was trying to make him feel better, and the ungrateful little brat... But the kid dropped the grin faster than he could think of a good comeback. Instead, he held onto his throat with both his hands and looked down at his sandals. 

Talk about mood swings. 

“It really isn’t that bad!” Konohamaru raised his hands in front of him and laughed nervously, trying to cheer him up. “I mean, listen to me now. It doesn’t crack anymore. You just have to wait it out.”

“I guess…” Boruto pouted and looked away. “Does this mean I’m going to have a deep and cool voice like you, Nii-san?” 

Having his student describe his voice as “deep and cool” made his cheeks flush by the tiniest bit. Konohamaru lightly scratched his cheek and smiled. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.” 

With that, Boruto grinned, seemingly forgetting all about the embarrassment from earlier. 

“Yeah!” He cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “I’m gonna have a cool voICE!” 

As his voice cracked, Konohamaru laughed. Boruto had a long way to go before growing into a man. Not just physically, but also emotionally. He cringed thinking about some of the other embarrassing things his own pubescent hormones had put him through. Watching his students go through it too made him feel sorry for them, but it was undeniably pretty darn funny too...


	3. Age 15 - Mitsuki’s Glo Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuki seems unusually quiet for a while, then disappears for a month after telling Boruto he had to go home to visit his parent. When he returns, Boruto doesn’t know how to deal with his… change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: @iBloo and I are happy to show you our new chapter Growing Pains! Many thanks to @spacerune for beta reading this for us. We got a few requests for Mitsuki and Sarada to be the focus of a chapter, so we are very excited to present Mitsuki’s! 
> 
> While this takes place when they are 15, Mitsuki’s fictional age is somewhat…vague, but we both imagine him looking a wee bit older by the end of this chapter. How old do you picture him to be?
> 
> Thank you for supporting this story! We both had a lot of fun writing and we hope you enjoy reading it too! ❤️

The image the mirror reflected made him frown. Beyond familiar, his face frowned back at him. It was...too familiar— if that was even possible. As he studied his reflection, the memory of Konohamaru-sensei making a short quip about how nice it was that Mitsuki was still the same and not as hormonal as the others played in Mitsuki’s mind. 

While unintended, Sensei’s remark pointed out something that had been on his mind more and more lately. When would he change? Or even… would he? 

As much as he tried to rationalise the thoughts, tell himself it didn’t matter and that he didn’t mind, the whole thing kept popping up over and over again. Small things like Boruto teasing Iwabe-kun about the scraggly goatee he was working on, and the girls whispering and giggling among themselves whenever they thought the boys weren’t looking. All of these tiny, everyday occurrences only highlighted his dilemma. 

Boruto, mainly, had changed so much since they learned to know each other in the academy, and the picture of Boruto Mitsuki had by the bed looked nothing like him anymore. 

And yet, setting aside a few more inches in height, and a few more muscles, Mitsuki looked almost exactly at fifteen as he had when he was, well—physically at least—eleven. 

Looking at his face, the image didn’t quite fit with who he was today, and he wondered when he would ‘experience’ the changes that everybody else was going through. His big brother looked a lot older, so he must have gone through it at some stage, unless their parent made him like that? 

Well, it didn’t matter anyhow. The focus was on the annoyance of seeing his friends move forward without him, and that needed to change! 

Yes, he had made his decision. 

Home to the lair it was then, to ask his parent what he was to expect. Once he had his goal set he asked for permission for an extended leave, explained his predicament to Lord Seventh, told his teammates that he would be gone for a while, and set off towards the lair.

.

.

.

Once home, he went straight to business.

“Orochimaru. I have a few questions.”

His parent tilted their head to the side and a small smile spread across their face. “Ah, of course, Mitsuki. What do you have on your mind?” 

“Well…” He trailed off, unsure of how to word his current dilemma. “I was wondering when—if,” he corrected himself, “I can expect physical development?”

Orochimaru raised a brow at the abrupt introduction to the topic. “Oh? That is a rather specific question. What brought this on?”

“I--my team, and everybody my age that I know in Konoha are experiencing development but me. Log must have matured at some stage, before I was created? So why aren’t I?”

“I see. Well, I guess the time has come then. Yes, it is true that Log has matured, but for you both, the process of producing the hormones required for this will not start naturally. I did not create you that way. Instead, I will artificially add the required hormones to start the process. Then we will wait. You should be going through puberty within a couple of months once the process is started. I assume, since you came all this way, you are willing to go through with it?”

Without hesitating, Mitsuki nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow, his parent let out a small chuckle and nodded for him to follow as he stood and left the room. Had Mitsuki not been so used to his parent's questionable...quirks, he would have shuddered. Now he just followed and sighed when he was led to the laboratory. Of course… 

Stopping in front of a tubular...thing, Orochimaru turned to Mitsuki again. “Okay then, my child. Hop in.” 

“Hop in...there?” Mitsuki blinked. A horizontally laid glass-tube filled with a clear, slimy liquid and a control panel on the side. All prepped and ready and seemingly not connected to anything else. Had Orochimaru expected this visit? 

“Yes, in here. It is filled with hormones that will work on maturing your body while you sleep. The process will only take a few months—” he interrupted himself, pursed his lips as if he contemplated something, and looked back at Mitsuki. “At the most. As opposed to the traditional lengthy process of human maturation that stretches over several years, I have perfected a much more efficient process. Now chop chop. I do not have all day,” he continued and pressed a button on the panel which opened a hatch big enough for a human to fit. 

Hopping into tubes filled with questionable liquid and lying in bed hooked up to wires wasn’t a new thing for Mitsuki. He could say it was the norm in this…household. 

As he raised a foot to step in, he looked at his parent. He usually never asked, but it just slipped. “Will this hurt?” 

Orochimaru gave him a slow and wide smile, tilted his head to the side and pondered the question for a moment. Certainly concerning to most, but it only made Mitsuki blink. “No, my child. You will just sleep.” 

“...Okay then.”

It was his decision to come here, after all, backing out seemed rather counterproductive. Removing his kimono and open-toed boots, he stepped in. Sinking into the slime, an immediate drowsiness overtook him and the last thing he remembered was his parent leaning over him with a...gentle smile.

.

.

.

There were times wherein he would gain consciousness, still submerged in the slime. Seeing his parent hover over him, or hearing garbled conversation between two people who he thought might be Suigetu and Karin. Maybe even Log once or twice, but he could not be sure. Nothing ever really stuck too long, as he would always fall back asleep. Mitsuki didn’t even know how long he was in there. 

His next waking memory was a loud noise and the water draining around his body. He blinked and slowly, his parent and Suigetsu came into view. 

“Aww. They really do grow up so fast,” Suigetsu teased with a toothy grin. He looked away from Mitsuki. “Really though, Karin. This got to be some sort of a record.” 

“Shut up,” Karin dismissed as she typed away, reading the numbers on the screen. “He’s already being called back to Konoha, and it is better if he isn’t late.” 

Suigetsu looked back at Mitsuki with a soft smile, but it didn’t last long. “I gotta see what the others will think. It’s like the best cheat code or something.” 

Footsteps echoed, and Mitsuki struggled to sit up. His body felt sore, and a little stretched. His legs definitely looked longer, and slightly leaner. Turning his attention to his hands, he frowned. They, too, looked bigger, but other than that he didn’t feel very different. In truth, he hadn’t been sure exactly of what he had been expecting, but something… more. Was this all the ‘maturation process’ did? Make him taller? If it was just to grow a few inches, he would still be behind. Surely, this wasn’t the only change? “Can I please have a mirror?”

“Sure.” Digging through her pocket for a second, Karin handed him a small, round makeup-mirror and they all intently looked at him to discern his reactions.

“How are you feeling, Mitsuki?” Orochimaru asked when he didn’t immediately move. 

He didn’t respond right away, as he was too busy recollecting the changes his friends had gone through that he didn’t immediately see in himself. “I—don’t know. What has changed?” He answered, and then raised an eyebrow at how different his voice sounded. Right. He should have expected that. 

Suigetsu took a step back. “Uuuhh.” 

Mitsuki turned his attention to him. “Can you tell me? Do I have the same things my friends did?” 

Suigetsu looked at Karin, who pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, hiding her eyes. “I’ll leave this one to you, Boss. I don’t want to do The Talk.”

A wide grin filled Orochimaru’s face. “We will discuss everything you can expect, Mitsuki. But let’s get you dressed first.” 

Suigetsu held up a towel, and Mitsuki gratefully accepted. As Mitsuki dried the slime off himself he noticed more hair on his upper body. White, soft hair predominantly on his chest and in his armpits, but also a thin...what was it Iwabe-kun had called it? A snail-trail? Leading further down his stomach. Huh. That was new. 

Once Mitsuki dressed again, in one of Log's robes, Orochimaru went through the basics of how his body had changed, and told him to contact him if he had any more questions.

.

.

.

Not that Boruto would ever admit it (especially not to himself) but his chin had never dropped to the floor as fast or hard as when Mitsuki came back from his trip home to…that creepy lair Orochimaru lived in. 

Mitsuki had always been, well. Mitsuki. They had known each other for __years__ and Boruto had never really reflected on his looks before. It wasn’t something Boruto tended to spend a lot of time contemplating in general, but now? Somehow, overnight, he had...grown up, was the best Boruto could describe it as. Like, way more grown-up than the rest of them. Blinking, Boruto tried to work out exactly what had changed. 

He had definitely grown taller. Boruto only reached him to the chin now. Not cool. His hair had grown too, and he wore it in a ponytail. Moreover, his face had lost all the baby-fat and looked more mature in general, something the girls would not __shut up__ about. Not that it bothered him. Nu-uh, it was just annoying to hear them swoon over it every five seconds. 

“Even your hair grew,” Shikadai remarked, a finger stroking the stubble on his chin. “It’s so long now.”

“A few months can’t make it grow that much,” Inojin added, subconsciously touching his own ponytail—one that he has been growing for years. “But still, it’s so shiny. I didn’t even think long hair would look good on you, but it does.” 

Mitsuki smiled. “Thank you. I grew it myself.” 

Usually, Boruto would have snickered at this unusual response, but the girls swooning made his soda taste sour. 

While Inojin and Shikadai discussed more about hair and the pains of maintaining a long mane, Sarada took the opportunity to lean closer to Mitsuki. “What has been the biggest difference for you, Mitsuki?” 

“The biggest difference?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“Yeah!” Sarada perked up, causing people to look at the two. “Like, what are you doing now that you didn’t before? These two,” she pointed with her thumb at Inojin and Shikadai, “Used to not care about their hair, now they’re always going on about __how many times per week they condition it__. Something like that?” 

“Ah!” Mitsuki seemed to have finally picked up what she was trying to ask. “Before I left, Karin said my face was starting to look a bit messy… Suigetsu taught me how to shave.” 

An audible, “Awwww” was heard from the girls. Seems like having a good big brother figure was now something to swoon over. __Big deal,__ Boruto thought. He had a big brother figure, too! But _ _no one__ swoons about __that__ , right? He took a big bite of his burger and started to chew with a little more rigour than he normally would as the conversation went on. 

“There is definitely more hair… and my parent told me to wash more often,” he placed a hand on the top of his head, and then piped up, “And I have a snail-trail now!” 

“Snail-trail?” Sarada raised a brow. 

“What the hell is that?” Inojin asked, looking at Shikadai, who only shrugged. 

What the—, something Mitsuki has that Boruto doesn’t, again. Boruto was ready to throw a fit, but stopped himself because… wait, what __was__ a snail-trail? 

“A what?” Boruto asked. 

Mitsuki’s face lit up. It was the first time Boruto said something all afternoon. “I remember asking you what that was, Boruto. You don’t remember?” 

His face contorted. “No?” 

Now Mitsuki was grinning. “Then, I’ll show you,” he pushed one side of his kimono sleeve down, and with a synchronized gasp, everyone's chins dropped. Boruto’s throat tightened. Was he going to do what Boruto thought he was going to do? 

“You can show me yours later,” Mitsuki said, as he lifted his shirt up to his chest. 

All the girls’ eyes went wide, taking in his chiseled abs and smooth skin. They were definitely more defined than Boruto could remember. He wanted to watch everyone’s reactions, but was caught staring as well. Around his belly-button was a small tuft of fine silver hair trailing all the way down to his pants. 

It seemed like they were all looking in the same direction, as the girls began to scream. 

Mitsuki trailed his finger down his stomach and pointed. “You have one too, right? Take your shirt off and let me see.” 

__Now__ Boruto was able to get back to his senses. What was up with Mitsuki and stripping in public spaces? 

The swooning and screaming did not end. The girls were talking all over themselves, throwing praise over Mitsuki’s abs and snail-trail. 

"A—a happy-trail. It's called a __happy__ trail, not a snail-trail, Mitsuki," Boruto corrected stuttering and with his ears burning. "And, uh. No, I'm good. I get what you meant now." He was __not__ going to admit that his hadn't started growing there yet. 

Even if Chocho and the girls were sitting at the next table—as they usually did—he still couldn’t block their conversation out. And if he usually found the girls chatter a bit annoying, for some reason it __really__ rubbed him the wrong way today.

Chewing on his burger, he contemplated the unfairness of it all. Here he, and __everybody else__ , had gone through years of awkward puberty, and then Mitsuki takes a mysterious holiday and comes back all...matured, like, looking way older than the rest—and is suddenly the centre of attention of virtually every girl, and even some boys in town. Even his voice had changed! And yet, Boruto’s sometimes __still__ sounded like a chicken had gotten stuck in his throat. 

It was just not __fair__. 


	4. Age 16 - Seeing Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **  
>  __  
>  **   
>  _  
>  _  
> _Most days Sarada is pretty okay with being the only girl on the team but sometimes she can’t help but feel a little bit jealous of Team 15 and even Chouchou. Konohmaru, on the other hand, thinks that the Jounin Sensei Handbook needs to be updated, ASAP. Mitsuki and Boruto are trying to be helpful and mostly failing. All in all, it’s just another messy day in the lives and adventures of Team 7._  
>  _   
>  _   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A/N: Hi there lovely readers! @kairi-chan and I are back with another chapter and this time we will focus on Sarada and some of the miseries that I think all young (and perhaps not so young) uterus owners have experienced one time or the other. We hope you all will like this chapter and please let us know what you thought of it!_
> 
>  
> 
> _This chapter was beta-read by the ever fabulous @spacerune who we can never thank enough for helping us and being such a wonderful human being in general 💖💖💖_
> 
> _PS, the WIP snippet released a little while ago does not belong to this chap, but actually the next, and we are finished with that one too! So, hopefully, we can post it soon :D_

Suika knew he would whine. She just knew. From experience. As soon as Boruto started, she looked at Konohamaru for assistance, and the annoyed glare he sent Boruto’s way told her he was just as fed up as she was with the teen’s never-ending demands and attitude. 

“How many times do I have to tell you that there are no ‘less important missions.’ You guys should be honoured. The Daimyo asked for Team 7 personally to deliver the invitations to the leaders of the biggest towns in The Fire.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at a pouting Boruto. “So stop this whining and go pack your things. You’ll be away for a while travelling to all the different towns. I’ll see you when you return.”

Oh… Perhaps she had not been as clear as she thought she’d been when she gave them the quick debriefing. 

“Ehm… Mr. Konohamaru. The mission requests the _whole_ team,” she explained, and had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling when his eyes widened in realisation. He had clearly not expected to have to accompany his team on a simple delivery mission for weeks on end. They were, after all, by now experienced shinobis of their own right. But he could not exactly complain now that he had given Boruto a hard time about it. 

…

Hanging from the cliff, holding on for dear life and seeing through her windswept bangs how her belongings slipped out of her waist-bag and down the ravine, Sarada sighed in resignation. It was just one of _those_ days. They were finally at the tail-end of the two-week-long mission, and she wanted nothing but to come home to a warm bath and her own bed. The cliff thing was more embarrassing than anything else. An unusually strong cramp in her lower belly had for a split second drawn her attention away from focusing her chakra on her feet to jump between the trees, and she had slipped. 

And ended up dangling from the cliff. 

The resigned mindset held on while she got hauled up to safety by Mitsuki’s extended arms and confirmed her wellbeing to her teammates. Nothing damaged but her pride. 

Then it hit her. 

She scrambled to reach her bag and let out an uncharacteristically colourful curse. 

Completely empty. 

Well, it was not surprising, but hope is the last to leave, you know. 

Okay. So, what to do now? The pad she had on would only last for another hour or so. 

__

__

And they were in the middle of the forest, with the closest village at least a few hours away. Explaining to her denser-than-a-bag-of-rocks-teammates that she needed to return ASAP was not something she looked forward to, and even then she wouldn’t make it back before ruining her clothes. So, time to be creative. There should be gauze in the medkit... 

__

“Boruto. I need to borrow the medkit for a moment. No questions asked.” 

__

“Wah? Are you hu—?”

__

“That was a question. Just give me the medkit.”

__

“Uh...okay. But if you are—“

__

“What I am is none of your business. Just give me the damned thing now,” she bit out through gritted teeth. Okay, so he was just worried. If roles were reversed she would have wondered too, but that didn’t help her irritability when another bad cramp made the urgency of the request all the more potent. 

__

Holding his hands up in the air in a sign of surrender, Boruto promised to ask no more questions and dug through his bag for the equipment scroll. 

__

Sarada snatched it from his hands, no 'thank yous' whatsoever. Just a curt nod before she turned on her heel and went to hide in the bushes. 

__

Back in the open, Boruto looked at Mitsuki with confusion swimming in his eyes. The other teen simply shrugged. "She looked okay to me..."

__

Unbeknownst to them, things were far from okay.

__

Ripping open the scroll and activating it, Sarada wanted to cry in frustration as she looked at the contents. 

__

The standard generic anti-venom shot. A few bandaids. Adrenaline. An eyeshield. Painkillers. Splinter. A pair of tweezers and scissors, all the standard stuff. Except for... 

__

Gauze. 

__

She was going to rip Boruto a new one. It was his responsibility to replenish the contents as they got used, and he must have forgotten after the last mission. 

__

Hearing a groan of frustration from the bushes, Boruto jumped. He turned to face Mitsuki, "Are you sure she's okay? That didn't sound okay to me!" 

__

Mitsuki opened his mouth to respond but closed it as he saw their teammate walking over, fury emanating from her very being. A slow smile crept up his face. "I'm sure she's fine, Boruto. I'm not so sure if you will be, though."

__

A quick glance behind him and Boruto knew he had screwed up. Even if he didn’t know why, he knew. 

__

“No bandages!” She screeched. “Not even gauze!” Sarada fumed. “You were supposed to keep this—” she lifted the scroll to his face— “Well stocked!” 

__

He raised his arms above his head and closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. She kept screaming, but no hits. Boruto opened his eyes and saw that she was near tears… 

__

Wasn’t she screaming just a second ago? Now she was… crying? 

__

“H-hey. Are you… okay?” Boruto’s eyes softened. He had screwed up, forgetting to keep the scroll stocked. But that was nothing to cry about, right? Especially Sarada. “Are you hurt?” 

__

Her shoulders slumped as she sniffed and wiped her eyes, glasses going askew. 

__

Mitsuki and Konohamaru hushed, seemingly as lost as Boruto was. What could possibly be wrong? Mitsuki patted around his pants, looking for a handkerchief to offer, but found none. 

__

Konohamaru looked at his scarf, but thought against it. 

__

There was no need to offer her anything, as Sarada was already drying her tears almost as quickly as she shed them. Straightening her posture and trying to piece herself back together, she croaked out a short, unconvincing, “I’m f-fine.” Her voice broke and betrayed her, lower lip trembling. It looked like she was going to burst into tears again and the boys took a step back, seriously at a loss as to what was going on. 

__

They watched Sarada sniffle, take a deep breath—as if to steel herself for something, and turn to Konohamaru. 

__

"Konohamaru-sensei, I need to turn around to return to the last village. But—" Another deep breath, and the usual steel glint in her eyes was completely lost as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "But I don't have enough...pads to last all the way there." 

__

Konohamaru blinked. 

__

Then he blinked again. He hadn't been sure what the drama had been about, but this hadn't even made the list.

__

"Uh. Wah? Uh… are you sure?" He asked dumbfounded, and Sarada's prior fury reignited. Though this time, instead of illustrating her frustrations with rage and yelling, her temper showed as an ice-cold glint in her eyes.

__

"Do you _really_ think I would tell you about this if I had enough?" She asked icily, and he shuddered under her piercing glare. _Scary._

__

"...Point taken." 

__

With no visible reaction to his last reply, Konohamaru gulped and resisted the urge to drop his gaze as a scolded child. He was _twice <_ her age for Pete's sake. And it was not _his_ fault that she didn't bring enough…

__

"So… uh… what uh… So there was nothing in the medkit that could be...used? Huh?"

__

Sarada didn’t answer. Instead, she turned away from the boys to signal that the conversation was over, and Konohamaru stared helplessly at her. 

__

He shook his head. Awkwardness be damned, he had to pull through and ignore that for a moment. 

__

Okay. So, they had a problem. Problems he could fix. They just needed something else to help her get through the day until they reached civilisation. 

__

For all their sakes. 

__

Scanning the surroundings and racking his brain for a solution, he ticked off the already considered options. 

__

No pads, check. 

__

Nothing useful in the medkit, check. 

__

Um… leaves? Na, she’d strangle him if he suggested that she should use shrubbery. And he’d bet it would be really itchy…

__

Clothes? That would probably work, at least temporarily. Gods know he’s used random rags to stem blood flow from wounds before. Glancing down on the only extra piece of fabric he carried, he pursed his lips. Hell no. 

__

This was stressing, to say the least. _Boss_ , what would you have done? 

__

...Probably nothing helpful. 

__

_Moegi._ I need your help here, damnit. I bet you would be all prepared if ChouChou ever came to you with this issue. 

__

Boruto tried to reach out to Sarada, and Mitsuki put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. The flapping fabric of his oversized kimono sleeves gave Konohamaru an idea.

__

“Mitsuki, come here a second. I need your help, kore.”

__

“Hm? What can I do, Sensei?” Mitsuki asked, and Konohamaru gave a quick sheepishly apologetic grin. _Sorry, pal._ It was my scarf or your sleeves. 

__

“We need to borrow, uh… well, _take_ your sleeves off. For Sarada. Okay?”

__

“My sleeves? Why—” Realisation sparkled in his golden eyes. “Ah, I see. Yes of course,” he continued and promptly ripped off both of them before walking over to Sarada and offering the fabric to her. 

__

Glancing first at him, then the sleeves, then his sleeveless arms, Konohamaru could have sworn she blushed for a second before reaching out to grab them and turning heel.

__

He sighed in relief. She had accepted the solution and they could be on their way again.

__

Hopefully, forgetting that this ever happened.

__


	5. Age 17 - Dumb Drinking Decisions (and their Inevitable Consequences)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alcohol, Shadow clones, Crushes, and the Sexy no Jutsu. Four things that are best experienced _separately._
> 
> Boruto learned this the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AN: We’ve reached the end! This chapter is actually the one including the headcanon that @kairi-can and I first played around with and built this fic on at least a year or so ago, and it seemed fitting that we would finish with the grand finale! Then canon weaved in a similar concept, and we included and sort of expanded on that, simply because we couldn’t resist! We hope you will enjoy our version!_
> 
> _As usual, Beta read by the fantastic @spacerune!!!_

"KONOHAMARU NII-SAN!! KO.NO.HA.MA.RU NII—"

The oh so familiar yelling, accompanied by loud banging on his front door made Konohamaru raise an eyebrow. What did Boruto want now? 

"Yeah yeah. I'm coming!" he addressed the door to interrupt the yelling—the neighbours always complained about incessant shouting at ungodly hours—and to let the impatient teenager know that he was on his way to let him in as he walked down the hallway. "What's all this commotion??"

Boruto, visibly vibrating with the effort to remain still on the patio as he waited for his _slow ass_ big bro to open the door, virtually bounced on the spot when Konohamaru _finally_ showed up.

"I need your help to improve my Sexy no Jutsu!!!!!" He explained as he squeezed himself in between the doorframe and Konohamaru, heading towards the living room without even stopping to make sure Konohamaru followed.

"Eh?! You mastered that jutsu years ago!" Konohamaru replied. "Perfect bust to ass ratio. Seductive smile. Alluring poses." Ah, Boruto really _was_ skilled. Konohamaru got emotional just thinking about it. He was so talented that it brought a tear to Konomaharu's eyes how well Boruto carried on his father's legacy. "You got it all down pat! Really. There's nothing more I can teach you, kore!" 

"But, but! I have to make it _better,_ ya know?" Boruto plonked himself down on the couch with a frustrated groan. 

"Uh…why? Your sexy jutsu's fine, kore. So what's this really about?" Konohamaru prodded, coming down for his emotional interlude. Boruto seemed really upset about something, so Konohamaru'd have to pull himself together. Boruto storming in as if his butt was on fire demanding to improve on a jutsu he'd known since the academy seemed rather...odd. Something else must have been up. 

The kid squirmed at that. Yep. Definitely hit a sore spot. "Come on. I'll make us some coffee, and you can tell me what's bothering you." 

After a moment's hesitation, Boruto nodded, and Konohamaru left him to his wallowing. He had a feeling he would need some pretty strong coffee to deal with whatever what was plaguing Boruto this time. 

…

"Okay, want to tell me now what this is really about?" Konohamaru asked as he took a seat. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Boruto took a sip, grimaced, chucked some more sugar in, and reached for the milk, pouring as much as his mug could hold. 

"So I did the Sexy Jutsu in front of Grampa Iruka, just to mess with him, ya know? And Sarada got…like _interested_. And I mean. Come _on_!" 

Coughing, Konohamaru covered his grin behind the coffee cup. Ouch. That could sting a bit. But why did he care so much if it was just his teammate, Sarada? She had seen it many times over the years. Unless…

"So let me get this straight. You are pissed off because Sarada noticed you?" he asked with a raised brow and a twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Or because it wasn't really _you_?" He took a sip, eyebrow still raised. 

"Uh? You know, because…" he groaned. "Aaah, I never knew she liked... Ugg. I knew she was popular among the guys, Kagura, Kawaki, ya know? But now I have to worry about the girls _too???_ Not cool."

The Jounin coughed on the coffee and sputtered, struggling to breathe. Did he get that right?? “Wh—what? Why girls?” 

Boruto slumped over the table. “She’s been spending so much time with Chocho and Sumire lately… you think she could be like… into them? They've always hung out since we were kids, ya know?”

Didn’t Sarada have a crush on Boruto when they were kids? Mitsuki was always saying how good they would look as a couple. This was… news. As much as Konohamaru wanted to ask more questions, he decided to console his pesky little brother instead. 

“It’s not so bad, kore.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Maybe she was just caught off guard. You haven’t been pulling that jutsu around her a lot recently, right?” 

Boruto, being the little shit he was, kept on talking as if his big brother hadn’t said a word. “She was staring at me!” he whined. “Like, the long hair and the legs, the ass, and the boobs… She really zoned in on the boobs, ya know??” Comical tears streamed down his eyes as he rambled on.

Trying to salvage what he could—and stop the rambling before Boruto worked himself completely up in a tissy—Konohamaru gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, look at it from the bright side. She looked at _you._ The female version, sure. But…uh. Still you. Right?"

Rapidly coming to the realisation that going to Konohamaru nii-san had been a mistake, Boruto groaned. Slumping down further, now resting most of his upper body onto the table, he listlessly twirled the cup between his thumbs. He really should have known better than to come here. "Yeah. I guess so." 

"Atta boy!" Konohamaru cheered. "That's the spirit! So… all you have to do now is just catch her attention again, kore..."

…

An incessant ringing of the doorbell woke him up, and in an instant he was wide awake. Decades of dozing on missions make for a light sleeper. 

Grabbing for the lamp on the nightstand in the dark, he heard someone calling out to him from the patio.

"KONOHAMACHU NII-SCCCCHHAN!! KO.NO.HA.MA.U NII—"

What the?

Throwing a quick glance at the clock and stumbling out of bed, he let out a few colourful curses. 3—frickin—AM. 

"What do you—"

He didn't get any further than that. The sight at the door stunning him into silence as a _very_ drunk, completely plastered actually, Boruto literally threw himself in his arms. 

"Big Brooooo," the kid whined and looked up at him with teary eyes. "Wha took you sho loooong?"

Fantastic. Frickin fantastic.

Releasing himself from the grip of an overly clingy and rather unsteady, Boruto, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes, sighing heavily. Grabbing Boruto by the shoulders and directing him into the living room, he gave him a 'gentle' nudge to sit. "I'll get you some water, looks like you need it. Wait here. Okay, kore?"

Waiting for a moment to make sure his words sunk through the dim awareness of the teen, he actually rolled his eyes when he got an unsteady 'thumbs up' and a goofy grin in return. 

…

Once he got Boruto at least somewhat vertically settled on the couch, Konohamaru's eyebrows rose when the kid slurredly explained how he had gotten himself into his current _state._

Shaking his head, Konohamaru swore himself to celibacy if _this_ was what it meant to have kids of his own. 

He had never been _that_ bad, right? 

Perhaps he needed to give an apology—or a few hundred—to Ebisu sensei and Auntie Kurenai the next time he ran into them...

"Here you go. Chug it and tell me what made you come up with the absolutely _brilliant_ idea to have a drinking party with yourself." 

Greedily grabbing the cup and gulping down its content, Boruto gave a high-pitched whine. "It's Saradaaaaa," he wailed, drawing out the last syllable to the point of absurdity. 

...Right. He should have guessed. 

"Okay. So…did something happen?"

"Noooooo! That's the thing. Ya know?! Nothin's happening. Dunno what to say to her anymore. Like at _all_." He gave another loud sniffle. "I just stammer and blubber whenever she's looking, Ya know?"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose to keep the budding migraine at bay, Konohamaru sighed. "So instead you decided to get hammered with no one but your clones, and failed to realise, or just didn't care? That when they dispatched, you'd absorb their alcohol intake? Brilliant, buddy. Absolutely brilliant."

That earned him a sour glare. "Didn't care. Everybody out of town on missions, ya know?”

'Where did you even get the alcho—? Uh, nevermind. Don't think I'll wanna know..."

He really should, though. Know how more and more of the younger ninja were getting their hands on it... But for the sake of his migraine—he let it slide, for now. 

With Boruto returning to his wallowing state and the conversation petering out into awkward silence, he dropped the thought completely. Instead, he focused on the more pressing matter of the depressed teen on the couch. Knowing well that they wouldn’t solve anything right now, he got up. Nodding for Boruto to follow, Konohamaru led him to the guest room. Better to get Boruto to bed instead. Once there, he left him on the side of the bed to grab a couple of essentials. Another glass of water, some PJs—guaranteed far too big on Boruto, but beggars can’t be choosers—and after a moment’s contemplation, a bucket…

…

Boruto woke up the next day to the curtains being pulled open and a bright beam of sunshine assaulting sore eyes and aggravating a pounding headache. 

"Goooood morning. Rise and shine, sunshine!" A familiar— far too chirpy for the hour— voice rang out, and Boruto made a sour face. 

"Nii-san. What are you doing?" 

"Since _someone_ had far too much to drink yesterday and kindly came to annoy me in the middle of the night, I have no choice but to return the favour. Time to get up. We're heading out for some food," Konohamaru explained before tossing him a pair of slacks and a plain t-shirt. "I'll have coffee ready in ten. I recommend a quick wash before then. You stink."

Still groggy from sleep and slightly nauseous as he tried to focus on the door frame and the tall figure leaning against it, it took a moment for the words to sink in. When they did, Boruto nodded and winced as the headache intensified with the small movement. 

Clearly satisfied that his message had gone through, Konohamaru closed the door to let him get ready, and Boruto eyed at the pile of clothes in his lap. He took a tentative sniff of his current getup and shuddered. Yeah. He needed a bath. Possibly a hose down, a literal one. And getting these clothes burned.

He’d never drink again. Ever. Ugg. 

Once the sorely needed wash and change of clothes were over and done with, he followed the smell of fresh coffee to the kitchen and was met by an impudent and upbeat Konohamaru who whistled to himself, and actually had the audacity to _laugh_ when Boruto entered. Loudly. 

"Heeeey, it's alive!" he greeted Boruto with, and if he hadn't been the harborer of the promise of food, then Boruto would have just turned heel and left. 

Boruto didn't know if he should grumble, try to smile, or just brave through it because he knew he needed to get some food in him. Deciding on the latter, he sat on the chair and eagerly took the mug of coffee that Konohamaru set on the table for him. After a few gulps, he dared to look at Konohamaru, all smiles and sunshine. He enjoyed this way too much.

Dropping his gaze and focusing on the steaming cup in his hands, Boruto prayed that Konohamaru felt merciful this morning. 

"Soooo….Remember much?" 

Clearly, his prayers had been in vain. 

"...No. not much," he admitted, knowing well he would suffer for this, but ...food. 

Calling out to all the gods he knew of, Boruto wished Konohamaru would stop there.

"Shall I refresh your memory?"

"...Please don't." 

Undeterred—if anything Konohamaru's grin grew wider when he heard Boruto's plea—he happily began relaying last night's conversation. "Na, you know. I think you'll find it really interesting, kore," he laughed. "You see, you kept bringing up a very specific topic, over and over." Pausing for a moment, his grin took on an almost evil character. "You see, you chatted a lot about girls. One girl in particular. Or… now that I think about it. It was actually only one girl. The whole time. Sarada Uchiha." 

The look of horror that flashed on Boruto's face was priceless. Well. It looked like there was more to his drunken ramblings now that he was thinking straight, and this was too good to pass up. Konohamaru gave him a sly smile and added, "Is there any particular reason why it was just her, Boruto? Or do I have to guess?"

Boruto dropped his head down on the table and groaned. What had he done to deserve this?

"Aw, come on buddy. It ain't that bad. So, you got a serious crush. Well, you've come to the right guy!"

Boruto's face twisted. He loved his Nii-san but from what he gathered after being with him for years, when it came to girls... Konohamaru nii-san was so _uncool_.

"...You said something about food?" He asked hopefully, still praying that he could divert Konohamaru's attention from the subject of girls.

The request brought the jounin out of his teasing streak and he stood. “Fine, fine. We can continue the chat there, kore.”

…

When they rounded a familiar corner and Boruto realised where they were heading he blinked away a couple of treacherous tears of relief.

The Thunder Burger. 

His Nii-san came through. He took him to his favourite place in his time of need. 

So lifted by the sight was he, that he ran ahead. By the time Konohamaru had caught up, he had ordered his favourite for both of them. With extra everything, and an extra large meal to go with it. That Konohamaru made a face of hesitation and slight disgust when the food arrived, he pretended not to see. He was promised this. And nii-san could learn a thing or two about gourmet food. He was far too influenced by Boruto's old man when it came to gastronomic preference. 

Seriously. 

As soon as they took a seat, Konohamaru started harassing him again. 

"So, what's your plan. You know, with your little _problem_?"

Boruto's burger, of which he had only taken a small bite so far, lost its taste. 

"Ugg. I dunno. Girls are so… gaah. I have no idea, you know?" 

"Sure I do! You came to the right person!" Konohamaru grinned confidently. 

Doubtful, Boruto threw him a raised brow. "Sure I did. Mr. 'I'm married to my ninja way.'"

The glare he received in return made his day brighter. Payback had been dished. 

"Oi," Konohamaru protested. "That was a long time ago! C'mon. Tell me what really bothers you and we'll see if we can fix it."

Groaningly, he resigned. It wasn't like it would hurt to tell him, right?

"I...uhhhg…I just don't know. Like—" he hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I think about her _all_ the time lately. She's so pretty, and… like, hot. And I—" He slumped deeper into his chair. "She'd just laugh at me if she knew."

Aaahh, young love. How sweet. Teasing the poor boy would be a lot easier now that the cat was out of the bag, but looking at his downcast eyes, Konohamaru softened, and decided to help bring some positive light to his circumstances. 

“You know, Boruto, you two have known each other for a long time, and if you approach her with an open heart and talk to her about how you really feel, I’m sure she’ll understand.” 

Boruto stopped his sulking for a moment and looked at him. That actually… made a lot of sense. “Really? You think she’ll… like me back, too?” 

A wide grin spread on Konohamaru’s face. “Well, why not? Other than having a strong bond, you’re a capable young man!” 

His blue eyes went wide and filled up with stars, touched by the compliment. “Nii-san!”

“Yes, yes, but you can’t just simply confess, kore. You have to put in something extra, some _flair,_ ” he wiggled his fingers around, for added effect. 

Sitting up right, Boruto paid attention, making sure to memorize the precious piece of wisdom his sensei was going to give him. 

“Now, you have to set the tone…” Konohamaru started with a low, yet serious voice, “Somewhere romantic, like overlooking the city, or out in a field where you’re all alone… and then—” he paused for dramatic effect, “it rains! And you stand there, drenched, then look into her eyes.” His gaze was intense, piercing, yet laden with emotion. Surely, to demonstrate to Boruto how he should appear. “And tell her how you feel.” 

Boruto’s blue eyes were wide, sparkling with awe and wonder, face slowly coming into a wide grin. “Woooow! I never thought I would say this but you are so co—“ 

They were disrupted when laughter filled the air, and two women entered the scene. “I sincerely hope you’re telling him about a bad romance movie and not actual love advice.” 

“Auntie Hanabi?” Boruto looked at her and then at the girl with her.

Konohamaru’s jaw slacked and his cheeks burned. “Ha-Hanabi. Good morning!” He greeted a little too loud. 

“H-Hima?” Boruto acknowledged who his auntie was with. Oh no. Oh shit. He can’t let her know. Not his little sister! 

“Nii-san, what’re you talking about? Do you like someone?” She asked, all sweet smiles and nothing but a pure and angelic look on her face. 

Boruto gulped. He knew that look. “N-nothing! I don’t have a crush on anyone. Hell no!” 

“Don’t deny it, Boruto,” Konohamaru reprimanded. “Sarada would be upset if she heard you ever denied your love for her.” 

Boruto’s spirit left his body. Dead. That’s what he was. _Dead_. 

“So this _is_ love advice!” Hanabi giggled. “You’re not going to have her take you seriously if you do it like that!” 

Himawari joined in. “Yeah, it would be weird if you did… and being in the rain will get you sick, you know?” 

“Huuuuuh?” Boruto somehow came back to life. “You mean none of that will work?” 

Hanabi smiled softly at the two. “If you sat down and really told her, sincerely, how you feel, I think that’s much better.” She then turned to the Jounin. “Don’t you think so, Konohamaru-senpai?” 

Directly confronted with someone he had never thought would walk in on them, the poor man couldn’t form a coherent sentence to answer her. Blushing and scrambling for words he stammered something unintelligible and looked at Boruto in desperation. 

Boruto pursed his lips and gave Konohamaru an unimpressed look. “You almost had me there, ya know? For a second I thought you were messing with me, but you were serious, weren't you? You're even worse than me. I guess after all this time, you’re still so uncool, Nii-san,” Boruto sighed. “No wonder your Ninja way is still your only girlfriend.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of LLF Comment Project, whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites:
> 
> Short comments
> 
> Long comments
> 
> Questions
> 
> “<3” as extra kudos
> 
> Reader-reader interaction
> 
> LLF Comment Builder
> 
> This author replies to comments.


End file.
